Downtown Buzz
story: Kallie Markle
photo: Brent Van Auken
BARBER MIKE HERNANDEZ
An old brick building and iconic red and white barber’s pole may be
as traditional and Rockwellian as it gets, but Mike Hernandez, downtown
Redding staple and barber extraordinaire, is hardly conventional.
Hernandez’s single-chair shop is a curious study in proportion. The
floor space is barely the size of a walk-in closet, but the soaring
ceilings and abundant windows permit plenty of light. In the single,
small space, one man accounts for more than a dozen thriving plants, a
collection of as many vintage hats, handfuls of seemingly mismatched
paintings, a CD library to incite the envy of any music fan, towers of
diverse books, a tiny lounge area for waiting customers, and a few
oddities like a stuffed bird, vintage bicycle and an old four-channel
tape recorder thrown in for good measure. It must be seen to be
believed, but the collections are so carefully acquired and arranged
that it all works to really create the space, rather than simply fill
it. As one customer sees it, “It’s one of those places you don’t mind
sitting and waiting around in.”
“I used to change (the décor) out once a month,” Hernandez explains of
his affection for the various collections, the makeup of which he finds
at local thrift and antique shops. Like the wall décor, Hernandez’s
gardening skills have evolved over time: “I had a few years where I
killed everything,” he confesses. Clearly, he relishes having a
workplace that is as uniquely his own as his home is. “There’s only one
key, just
me cutting the hair, and I control the music,” he says. As jobs go,
“it’s a nice environment.”
Hernandez was a truck driver until a back injury sidelined him, when he
decided to examine career options that would allow him more time with
his then-3-year-old son. Determining that he could pursue an interest in
barbering that would also afford the chance to be his own boss,
Hernandez trained to be a cosmetologist, and Mike’s Barber Shop has
called the Lorenz Hotel home for the last 12 years.
The marriage of the space and the work is such a convivial one that
Hernandez has never considered changing the shop’s location. He can
watch the seasons change, enjoy the energy of the parkside location and
relish the stream of regular customers and accompanying work.
“I like to give as precise a haircut as possible,” he explains while
doing just that for one of his regulars. “I’ve developed a clientele
that are either very particular or have difficult hair.”
Hernandez prefers taking his time with more challenging cuts and hair
types, which is easier in his small sanctuary and with his music playing
than it would be in a bustling, multi-chair establishment. His music
preference is guided by a simple philosophy: “There’s only good music:
you just have to find it.” The stacks (and stacks…and stacks) of CDs are
a testament of his dedicated search. Opera, jazz and everything in
between takes its turn on the stereo; the day’s selection is guided by
Hernandez’s mood, though he always considers his guests’ comfort. “Some
jazz takes too much concentration, so I do try to think of my
customers.”
The barber shop has granted Hernandez a plum perspective on the downtown
area and its many changes over the last decade. “It used to be a ghost
town after 5 pm on a Friday,” he remembers. “There’s much more energy
now. It’s more diverse and cosmopolitan.”
Though Hernandez and his shop are positively singular, this barber’s
lifestyle is broadly idyllic.
“Downtown is a neat place to live and work,” he concludes. “And in my
occupation, when I have down time, I can read, enjoy my music and take
care of my plants.”
All in a day’s work. •
Mike’s Barber Shop
1315 Yuba St., Redding
(530) 515-1134
Open 11 am – 5 pm Monday-Friday, Saturdays by appointment
